Social Determinants of Health as They Affect Outcomes of Head and Neck Cancer.

Abstract

Social determinants of health (SDOH) and health-related social risks can be measured in the clinical and research realms through patient self-report, composite neighborhood level measures of disadvantage, and Z-codes. Among patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, differences in SDOH, particularly the domains of economic stability, education access and quality, and health care access, are associated with disparities in oncologic, psychosocial, and quality-of-life outcomes. Research describing the effects of strategies to address adverse SDOH is lacking. The head and neck oncology community is uniquely poised to move from describing disparities in outcomes based on SDOH to addressing them.